Our Home for the Holidays

December 13, 2010

“Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays . . .” Are you humming all of those tunes these days? We are! We’re also getting the house ready to welcome (gulp, 70 to 80) guests for our annual Christmas party next weekend.

Thankfully, all the inside decorating is done!

Nester is hosting her annual holiday tour of homes today, so naturally it was the perfect time to snap some photos and join in the fun!

The new staircase is decked out with a garland of mixed greens (faux + real), topped with lights, silver beads, some flocked branches clipped from my Christmas tree and plenty of snowflakes.

I’m so into snowflakes this year, and I have dozens of them. I always pick them up in after Christmas sales for about a quarter each and I never get tired of them year after year!

On the other side of the entry is a dresser all dolled up for the season.

To the right of our stairs is our living room where I typically spend most of my energy decorating. Everyone gets stopped under the mistletoe!

Last week, you saw the flocked Christmas tree ~ Grandpa’s piano is all tuned up for singing carols at the party. Oh yes we do sing at our parties! Everyone does, especially after we hand them a glass of bubbly to warm them up . . .

If you’d like to see more pics of the mantel up close, take a peek right here.

Across from the fireplace is the sideboard I picked up at a thrift store earlier this year. I’m keeping it cleared off to hold desserts.

But I couldn’t resist a fun colorful display with some manzanita branches, ornaments and colored glass balls.

In the kitchen where we spend most hours, I finished the mantel above the range with some cedar garland mixed with fir and dusted with faux snow.

Those candlesticks are all from thrift stores, spray painted a seasonal shade of silver. You know me, I’ll probably paint them white again next year!

To the back of two barstools, I tied some rosemary and boxwood swags created from yard clippings. I’m loving the mix of silver and green this year in the kitchen!

In the kitchen garden window is a simple fir wreath topped with some beaded garland I’ve had for so many years. I love Trader Joes . . . you can get a 24” wreath for $10, so I always buy a few, then dress them up with berries and bows.

Suspended from the top of our garden window are several silver ornaments, strung up with fishing line!

Little mercury glass candleholders sit on the windowsills . . .

Most of our holiday decorations are concentrated downstairs, but I couldn’t resist this next little seasonal splurge. Upstairs, just for me and my guy, I hung this simple eucalyptus wreath in our master bathroom. It’s so fragrant, and has that ‘spa’ smell, I’m secretly hoping it lasts for several months!

The first and last thing anyone ever sees when coming to our place is the winter willow wreath on the door I made last month.

The outdoor lights and porch are nearly done, I’ll save those for later!

I absolutely love your blog. I’m addicted and inspired! I will be tackling a DIY project this winter – a dressing room for my teenage daughters and I have accessed so much info on your project list! I’m a fan – your Christmas design is gorgeous. Time to enjoy your party!

BEEEEEEEAAAUUTTIFUL! I wish you and your family a th Merriest of Christmas’ – filled with laughter and memories! Have fun at your party and remember to find 2 mins and a corner to take it all in!! ENJOY!

It’s all so very beautiful, Kate! Charming and welcoming–who wouldn’t want to come in and enjoy a cup o’ kindness in your lovely home? I especially love that darling ceramic Nativity with the angel keeping watch–what a great thing to have right inside the front door!

thanks for reminding me how much I love décor.
I’ve been crafting gifts and only took the time to make the tree. I don’t have the time to do much more, but I loved touring your house. It’s so fresh! I’ll try making a wreath, I’ll find the time!

Holy Moly girl! I love all your pictures! I wish there were more, I could look all day! Everything looks to perfection, and I can’t believe you found such fun candle holders from the thrift store, and more than one of the same shape! I love all the cool colours, but I also love how you have great greenery! The outdoors always looks great indoors! Can you tell I am in love with your place!!

ring! ring! ring! thats the sound of the magzines calling wanting to publish your home!! can you say “hello Matthew Mead!” seriously girl! you should submit these!!! Pure LOVELY and I see Rhoda agress!!

i am in love with your house. i just love all the decorations, yet it still looks so darn fresh and bright and not over-done like it can easily become during the holidays. you have done a great job. all of your guests will definitely have their jaws dropped upon entering.

incredible! didn’t know that about TJ wreaths; could make a great christmas gift for the hostess (mom) of christmas dinner. Where did you find your eucalyptus wreath? from williams-sonoma? it’s the most relaxing smell i know (and i spray it liberally in a steam room!)

Very beautifully done, as I would expect from you!! Thanks for the inspiration. I recently redid my stairway in a very similar way to yours (less the wood stairs…..I’m still cursed with beige carpet) but have yet to decorate the handrail. I love what you did with yours!

Wow, love, love, love everything you did!! What a beautiful home. I have yet to take pictures of mine. Thank you so much for the heads up on Trader Joe’s wreaths! We have them here in the Northwest as well and I hadn’t been there for awhile, so now I know! Now I can justify having a couple of fresh wreaths for a party I’m giving this week! Thanks for all the great ideas!!

Oh my gosh. Those are beautiful. I love the garland on the stairs, and I’m practically drooling over the lime green & aqua glass balls — those are my favorite colors, and they look fantastic next to anything else. I never would have thought to use them as winter colors!

Unbelievable. You get to live here? It looks like a page out of a magazine, seriously. Your decorations are so elegant and tasteful, and I love that you went with wintry whites, silvers, blues and greens in lieu of the obvious red. Simply beautiful taste you have!!

Kate…. all is just beautiful…. personal faves are the manzanita tree decked out with the unexpected green balls ( Love!)….the wreaths. especially the ornament ball over the fireplace-your kitchen mantel …. and my favorite spot in the whole house…. Ta DUm.!. the kitchen window! Love those ornaments hanging in front of your lovely garden view…… hmmm…. oh to be the clean-up girl washing out the wine glasses the day after the party… It will be wonderful!
Thanks again for all the joy and great projects you have shared this year- not to mention all the Beauty! You have truly been an inspiration! Now- go have a celebration!

Everything looks amazing!! This might be a stupid question but can you shed some insight on how you actually hang some of the items? what did you use on the garland/stairway or some of the wreaths? Thanks

Wow – your home looks stunning! I am impressed by the size of your annual Christmas party – you should share with us some of your hostess secrets for hosting a soiree that large! Happy holidays, love! xoxo

Hi Malissa, so sorry I neglected to add those details, great question! The garland on the stairs is swaged with floral wire. I always say, floral wire is the Spanx of holiday decorating. It holds everything in place and creates the illusion of perfection! The wreaths in the foyer and living room are hung from large nails hidden behind the mirror frames. I keep them there even after the wreaths come down, you can’t see them because they are pounded in at a downward angle.

The wreath in the kitchen is suspended from a small hook, and the ornaments strung from fishing wire stay put with lightweight staples from a staple gun. Miniscule holes remain at the end of the season, but they are near invisible. I could patch them with spackle but I never bother.

One of my faves is the silver ornaments hanging in front of your kitchen window! I’m sure your party is something you enjoy in your “off” time, but I’d love to hear how you plan for and execute it! I’d read before on an earlier party that you prepared all the food. I hope you’re not doing that for 70-80 people- you must have help. I’d love to start a hosting an annual party at our house- we thinking of starting small with a new year’s get together.

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Hi, I'm Kate from Northern California. I'm a bargain hunter, design lover, and incurable DIYer. I'm on a quest for diamond style on a dime, and I'm out to make my world fabulous, for less, one do-it-yourself project at a time. Learn more.